One day a monk, playing tennis with Francis I, hit a fine shot which nonetheless resulted in the king's victory. "That," Francis declared with approval, "is the stroke of a monk!" "Sire," the wily monk replied, "whenever it shall please you, it shall be the stroke of an abbot."

[Francis took the hint and the monk received his promotion.]

[In its early years as an indoor sport, tennis was scored by moving the hands of a clock: to 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Though the 45 -- for reasons unknown -- became a 40, this traditional scoring scheme has been used for centuries.]